Although the natural shape of women's breasts resemble a tear drop, with the more narrow portion on top and the rounder part on the bottom, a shape considered more aesthetically pleasing is a shape that is closer to that of a sphere, consistently round from the top to the bottom of the breast. As women get older, the breasts tend to sag, thus, any roundness that may have existed in the top of the breast is diminished, which further exaggerates the tear drop shape. To this end, different bras have been manufactured to create the illusion of a rounder shape throughout the breast and thus disguise the natural tear drop shape of the breast. One example is a push up bra, wherein padding is added at the bottom of each cup in order to fill up the bottom of the cup and push the breasts upward. By gathering the majority of the breast tissue towards the top of the cup, the top of the breasts can appear more round.
One problem with using padding at the bottom of the bra to prop up the breasts is that the breasts can overflow the cup, which will not create a smooth, round, silhouette underneath clothing. If a clothing item being worn by an individual is higher cut than the bra, the bra cup can create an indentation in the breast that is visible underneath the clothing of the wearer.
Another problem with using padding at the bottom of a bra cup to elevate the breasts is that elevating the breasts in this manner will not necessarily position them in such a way as to fill out the top of the cup and create a round shape. The shape created at the top of the cup will be dependent upon the individual shape of the breast that is being elevated. Thus, the illusion of roundness created by the bra will vary depending upon the breasts of the wearer.
In attempts to address the issue of providing a uniform shape to the breasts, brassiere manufacturers have proposed a brassiere having molded foam cups. Although suitable for many purposes, one of the main drawbacks to a molded foam bra cup is that the generally inflexible molded foam provides a less exact fit for the wearer. Additionally, the comfort of the wearer is sometimes sacrificed because the foam does not fully conform to the tear-drop shaped breasts of the wearer. Accordingly, such a molded foam bra cup does not always provide a natural look for the wearer.